One Mistake
by Lady April of Ohio
Summary: What happens when Edward can't stay away from Bella, yet also can't deny the thirst her blood brings? A remake of Twilight. Chapter 7 up. Bella goes hunting.
1. The Vision

What happens when Edward can't stay away from Bella, yet also can't deny the thirst her blood brings? A remake of Twilight. **WARNING** There will be explicit language, some blood and gore, and even sexual themes in later chapters. You have been warned :)

*I do not own Twilight, or any of it's characters. I'm simply borrowing them for your entertainment. Enjoy!

*Please read and review. If people don't want me to continue, I won't waste my time. Thanks!

One Mistake

Bella:

I had never felt so alone in my entire life. All at once, it seemed like just existing was becoming a challenge. I had no idea what I had done that could be so terrible to deserve a punishment like this.

I stole a quick glance to my right. Through the curtain of my mahogany hair that I strategically placed between Charlie and I, I could see the worried look on my fathers face as we drove, slowly, to what would soon be my new home. For the life of me, I just couldn't understand. I had never been a religious person, but I went to church with my mother every Christmas, Easter, and whenever else she had decided on a whim to go. But surely God wouldn't look with such disdain upon me as to let me suffer like this. I respected Charlie, but there was a part of me deep down inside that knew he was not ready to be a father figure to me. Perhaps it was the years without me that had waned his paternal instincts? Whatever the reason was, it didn't matter. All I knew is that my mother had chosen a man she barely knew above me. Like hell I would just sit around and let her drag me into her mistake… No, she would just have to live with the fact that she let her only daughter down in one of the most heartbreaking ways.

So I had taken a chance and called up Charlie and asked if I could move in with him for awhile. Of course, all I told Charlie was that I was tired of moving around the country with my mother, Renee, and her new toy, Phil. Phil was just another loser… A wannabe professional baseball player trying to make it big. I think we all knew he would never amount to anything, yet my mother clung to him with such senseless obstinacy. Sometimes I think my mother just keeps Phil around because he helps her to feel like less of a failure herself.

I sighed heavily as I though of Renee's many failures… Her misadventures that always turned out disastrous and usually left _me_ to be the one consoling _her_. I was sure she would miss the comfort I brought her. Yes, she would miss me when her precious Phil finally moves along and finds a new, younger woman to satisfy his interests.

My bitter train of thought came to an abrupt end as Charlie pulled his cruiser into the driveway. Everything was exactly how I remembered it. I had been only five years old at the time my parents got their divorce, but I remembered it as though it were yesterday. Twelve years had passed, and it looked as though nothing here in Forks, Washington had changed a bit, including my father.

"Hey, Bells, I cleared out a few shelves in the bathroom for ya. Oh! And I bought ya some new bed sheets and stuff. I didn't think you were still into _The Little Mermaid _anymore…" Charlie stated as he helped me carry in my bags.

"Thanks, Cha-" I had to mentally correct myself, "Dad… That was very thoughtful of you," I tried to put on the most sincere smile I could muster as we reached the top of the stairs and began placing my luggage on the floor. It was kind of awkward just standing there with him, neither one of us quite knowing what to say. I almost breathed a sigh of relief when Charlie broke the silence.

"Well, welcome home, Bella. I'll leave you to get unpacked and settled. I'll be downstairs watching T.V if you need me. Oh, and for dinner I'll order us some pizza, so just let me know when you get hungry, 'kay?"

I quickly nodded and knelt down on the floor to start unpacking my things as he turned, shut my door behind him, and descended the stairs.

Edward:

It was a day just like any other day in Forks - rainy and boring. But I didn't mind the rain, it only helped to clear my mind as I drifted with the scent of the elk. I startled my prey as I approached, not taking any care to be quiet. It was alright, I rather liked the chase. It was all too easy to just sneak up and attack without the defenseless deer knowing what hit them. It was much more fun to listen to the frantic, fragile heartbeat, the thudding hooves, the lush vegetation snapping with every erratic twist and turn the poor creature made. I smirked as I cut the creature off and dove onto it's back, holding it down with my weight, and dug my sharp teeth into it's buttery soft flesh. It wasn't the best I'd ever tasted, but it wasn't the worst. None of that mattered anyway… I was thirsty, so I drank. I quickly finished, dusted myself off, and headed back home.

To my surprise, I could hear loud, frantic talking as I approached the house. My siblings rarely fought, other than minor teasing and goofing off, and even when they did fight, Carlisle usually put an end to it rather quickly.

I entered the house to see Alice at the foot of the stairs, with the whole family surrounding her. I tried to read her thoughts to see what was going on, but as soon as she spotted me, she quickly blocked off everything she was thinking. I then read through everyone else's thoughts… There was a "_How dare she even suggest something like that_?!" from Rosalie, an "_I hope everything's alright_," from Esme, and an "_As long as she's not in danger_," from Jasper. Emmett didn't seem to care about whatever was going on, and Carlisle had his thoughts blocked as well, which made me rather suspicious. There wasn't much that any of us hid from the other members of our family, and usually when we did try to hide something, it never stayed hidden for long.

When they heard me approach, they all turned to look at me, except Alice. She had a pained expression on her face and mumbled something that sounded like "_I'm sorry_," before taking off up the stairs to her room.

"What's going on? What did I miss?" I asked rather curtly as I looked through each of their thoughts, digging for an answer. Instead, Carlisle answered,

"All of you, go… Leave Edward and I to talk for a bit. He has a right to know as well,"

I watched as my siblings and my mother, Esme, all darted away to go on about their business. Carlisle beckoned me to sit down on the couch across from the chair that he had just sat down on.

"Edward, please do not take offense to anything that I say to you here this evening. You know that I care about you greatly, and that you are truly like a son to me," Carlisle started.

"It's fine, Carlisle. Just tell me why everyone was in such an uproar when I came home. And why Alice looked so sad…" I was sure I could handle whatever it was. After existing for over one hundred years, there wasn't too much that I hadn't experienced already, especially living in a house with several other vampires. Things I had not experienced on my own, I had certainly experienced through the thoughts of others. I inwardly shuddered as I recalled just how often I experienced Emmett's lust for Rosalie in his head… I was glad when Carlisle interrupted my thoughts as he continued,

"Well, you see, Edward… Alice had a vision while you were away. She will not give any of us the specifics, but she claims that we need to move away from Forks-"

"Why? Are we in danger?" I couldn't help the anxiety that colored my words.

"No, Edward. Alice swears that our family is safe. Our leaving would be to save _others_,"

I scoffed before answering him, "Carlisle, that's absurd. We only hunt animals… Alice is quite aware of that and none of us seem to be having much of a problem with it. How would our staying put for a few more years endanger anyone?"

"I do not know, son. But is it truly worth it to find out?"

I was still suspicious at his words, but then, Alice came down the stairs with the grace of the most lovely ballerina and came to a stop in front of me. She gently kneeled on the floor and began to speak,

"Edward, you are my brother, and I love you as such. I had a vision earlier… A vision of you. Only it wasn't you. You were a monster, Edward. You had no self control, no boundaries. It was like you were some wild beast, tearing apart anything in your way until you found what you were after,"

Alice stopped there and looked deep into my eyes, looking as though she would be sobbing now if only she were able. She slowly closed her eyes,

"Here, let me show you…"

Oh! The agony that seared through my unbeating heart would have killed me if I were still alive. I saw Alice's vision as perfectly as she had seen it only minutes before. She was right, I was absolutely wild. I was sinuously bent over the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I couldn't tell if the girl was awake or asleep, but she was moaning my name… From pleasure or pain I knew not. This girl had the most exquisite chocolate brown hair, and soft, pale skin. Through Alice's vision, I knew that her smell was what drew me to her the most - what had turned me into a complete animal. I cringed as I watched myself plunge my teeth into the softness of her neck and begin to drain the life from this beautiful angel. What was wrong with me? What could possibly happen to make me lose control like that? I hadn't tasted a human's blood for several decades, so what was it about this one lovely human that could drive me to insanity like that? What had she done to deserve to die by my hand?

"Stop," I commanded Alice, "I wish to see no more…" Alice nodded and slowly opened her eyes.

"So what are we going to do?"

I looked at Alice, then to Carlisle.

"Family meeting," was Carlisle's only response. Instantly, everyone was gathered again in the luxurious living room that we sparingly used.

"You rang?" joked Emmett.

"Shut up you retard, this is serious," hissed Rosalie, "I'm not ready to move again. We just got here!"

Carlisle's authority rang clear in his voice as he growled, "Enough! I think you all know why we're here. There are innocent lives in danger if we stay, or we can relocate. Choose,"

"If this is about Edward, why don't we just send him away?" spat Rosalie.

"If he leaves, we all leave, Rose," Esme stated calmly. "Or you could stay here without us. That's your choice, just as it always has been,"

Rosalie rolled her eyes as Carlisle pointed to Emmett.

"Emmett, stay or go?"

Emmett took a long second to ponder his response. It surprised me, the thoughts I heard flutter through his mind, but it really surprised me that he would voice them aloud,

"I saw we stay. If this really _is_ about Edward, I'm sure he can handle whatever's coming his way. And if it's not, it'll make for some great entertainment," he announced with a big grin.

"This is serious, Emmett!" Alice growled as she lightly slapped him in the arm.

"Fine. Alice? Your thoughts please," Carlisle offered.

"I think this is Edward's decision. Only he knows what he's capable of. I don't understand my vision because I wasn't the one in it. I'll go with whatever Edward wants," was Alice's firm reply.

To my surprise, Jasper and Esme both nodded their heads in agreement.

I really had no choice. I couldn't let my family down. I knew how much they hated bouncing from place to place. And there were only so many places that had enough cloudy days to suit our lifestyle. After a long, thoughtful pause, I decided that I would not, no, _could _not, disappoint my family. We would stay. All of us. And I would be strong enough to deny whatever siren's call that chocolate-haired beauty would have for me.

"We're staying," I declared quietly.

I saw a big smile on Rosalie's face as she and Emmett walked away. Alice still looked distressed as Jasper grabbed her by the arm and led her upstairs. I looked back over to Carlisle and he looked upset as well as Esme put her hand gently on his shoulder as she said to him,

"Have a little faith in our boy. I think this will all work out. Alice's visions change, and we all know that. All it takes is a little bit of effort on Edward's part, and for us to cut him some slack. If it gets too bad, we'll leave. But I think we'll _all_ be happier if we stay and wait this one out,"

They were both looking at me. They loved me… They had so much faith in me. But was I really strong enough to deny my very nature? Just one mistake and all could be lost for my family and I. I had never before saw the girl in Alice's vision. So I had no way of knowing who or where she was. I was a little nervous at how little information I truly had. But I was Edward Cullen. I had been a vampire for almost a century. Nothing could take me by surprise. I would be ready for whatever awaited me.

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I have chapter two all typed up and ready to go, but I'd like to see what everyone's reaction is before I continue. I won't keep going if nobody wants to read it, lol.

-April


	2. Biology Class

What happens when Edward can't stay away from Bella, yet also can't deny the thirst her blood brings? A remake of Twilight. **WARNING** There will be explicit language, some blood and gore, and even sexual themes in later chapters. You have been warned :)

*I do not own Twilight, or any of it's characters. I'm simply borrowing them for your entertainment. Enjoy!

*Please read and review. If people don't want me to continue, I won't waste my time. Thanks!

One Mistake

**Bella:**

As I put my big tank of a truck into park, I took in one last deep breath as I turned off the truck, got out, and began walking across the parking lot into my new school. Ugh, high school was vicious anywhere you went, and judging by the hushed whispers and pointed fingers, this place was no different.

It was easy enough to follow my class schedule, as Forks High School was extremely small. I went from class to class, giving the same dull introduction in front of my peers, then sitting for a boring lecture that I already knew from my previous schooling.

I was very glad when the lunch bell rang. I was _starving_. A girl that I had met earlier, Jessica Stanley, offered to let me sit with her and her friends at lunch. She seemed a little too snobby for my tastes, but who was I to complain? It was my first day at a new school; I couldn't be picky.

I grabbed a tray, a nice-sized salad, and headed back to where there were sitting. That's when I noticed _them_.

**Edward:**

I walked into the lunchroom the same way I do everyday, but for some reason, something was a bit off. I couldn't put my finger on it, so I grabbed a tray, slopped some nasty looking food onto it, and headed back to the table to pretend to eat with the rest of my siblings.

I looked up from my pile of disgusting human food when I heard Alice gasp. That was never a good sign. I followed her gaze to see what she was so interested in. And there she was. The girl from Alice's vision. _Bella_. I had heard about her in the thoughts of my classmates all day. She was new here, from some other state, but I had not really paid anyone's thoughts a bit of attention. I was a little nervous when I first looked at her, but when she looked back at me, that's when I noticed. I couldn't hear her thoughts. I could hear that annoying girl Jessica that was sitting to the girl's left, and I could hear people clear on the other side of the cafeteria, yet when I listened for the thoughts of the beautiful brunette, _nothing_. If I was "a little nervous" before, I was completely panicked now. I suppose perhaps I may rely too much on my extra sense, but I figured I could use my extra knowledge to keep this girl safe. If I knew who she was, what she liked, how she lived, _what she was thinking_… Perhaps my conscience would beat out that horrific monster from Alice's vision and I could let her live.

As she blushed and quickly turned away, I turned my gaze away from her as well. It bothered me that I could not read her thoughts as I could read everyone else's, but I rationed with myself. At least I was okay. I wasn't jumping out of my chair to chase after her or anything. Hell, I couldn't even smell her from where I sat. Perhaps if I kept my distance, I could just treat her like I treat any other human and go on about my business. I almost laughed at the monster I saw in my head from Alice's vision. She was probably just worried about me, and in her overreaction, had some crazy, messed up vision. I shook my head as I smirked at Alice, got up and threw my trash away, and headed to my locker to get some things for my next class in Biology. "_Be careful_," was all I heard from Alice's mind as I walked toward the door.

**Bella:**

I saw them as soon as I sat down with my tray of salad. I turned to Jessica and quietly asked her about the strange kids sitting at the table in one of the far corners of the room.

"Oh! Those are the Cullens," Jessica explained to me, "They don't hang out much. They're a bunch of freaks if you ask me. Dr. Cullen and his wife adopted them all, but they're all, like, dating each other. It's kind of gross, if you ask me…"

"What are their names?" I asked. They were the most beautiful people I had ever seen in my life. And the way the tiniest girl fluttered around when she moved… It was like watching a butterfly flit from flower to flower. That's when the girl looked up at me with a shocked look on her face. I quickly turned my focus back to Jessica to await her explanation.

Jessica didn't disappoint me. Without looking to their table, she explained that the blonde haired girl was Rosalie, and she was dating the tall, muscle-riddled guy named Emmett. The tiny girl I had seen was named Alice, and she was dating the blonde boy named Jasper. And the beautiful bronze haired boy sitting by himself was named Edward. I stole a quick glance back to their table and realized that Edward was staring right back at me. I blushed and quickly looked away. Jessica noticed my sudden blush and hurriedly added,

"Oh, and Edward doesn't date. He probably thinks he's like, God's gift to women or something, and like, none of the girls here are good enough for him. Like I said, they're freaks,"

I tried to get the Cullens off my mind as I finished my salad. Yuck, my next class was Biology. It was a subject that I excelled in, but it held no interest to me. I didn't really care _how _things functioned, just as long as they _did_.

I sighed as the lunch bell rang. I threw the remainder of my salad in the trash and trudged off to Biology class.

This was one of the few classes that I did not share with Jessica. I appreciated her help in finding all my classes and such, but I didn't feel that the two of us would be friends. She just seemed to be one of those people that feigns concern about you until you spill your guts to them, and then goes behind your back and laughs about you to everyone else. I just didn't trust her.

She walked me to the door, then wished me luck as she walked away toward her own class. I took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then took a few steps into the Biology room.

_Smack!_

In my carelessness, I hadn't noticed the small piece of wood lining the bottom of the doorway. I had tripped. And I had fallen. In front of my entire Biology class. A few muffled giggles and a few gasps were heard as the teacher rushed over to make sure I was alright. I was flushed and embarrassed, but not hurt. I was quite clumsy and used to getting scrapes on my hands and legs. After assessing my condition and determining that I was alright, the teacher introduced himself, gave me a textbook, and directed me to the only empty seat in the room.

As I looked over to where the teacher was pointing, I saw _him_.

Edward Cullen.

And he looked pissed.

I slowly and carefully walked to my new seat and sat down. Edward quickly glared at me and scooted his chair in the opposite direction of me. What was going on? I hadn't even met this guy and all of a sudden he hates me? I guess Jessica hadn't been joking when she said they were all freaks… I stole a quick glance at him from the corner of my eye. He was staring out the window and tapping his foot impatiently on the floor. _But it was so cute_…

"_Stop it, Bella! Get a grip on yourself! Look at him, he freaking hates you_!" I mentally scolded myself. What was wrong with me? Yeah, I guess it would be just like me to be attracted to a guy that wants nothing to do with me. I inwardly groaned. This was going to be a long year…

**Edward:**

I was the first person into the classroom, as usual. I tended to be the first person in the classroom and the last person out. It highly irritated me how slowly humans moved, and I despised moving at their pace. So to keep up my human charade, it was easier to just move when the majority of them could not see me. I sat and fidgeted with my pencil as the students slowly came pouring into the classroom. I got out notes that I had taken from the previous lesson and pretended to go over them. I quickly glanced up as I heard a dull _thud_ on the floor towards the front of the room. What I saw made my dead heart sink low in my chest - It was _her_. If I could have nightmares, this would be one of them. I already knew that the empty seat next to me was where the instructor would make her sit. I mentally prepared myself. Yet so far, she had been just like any other human I had passed by on the street, or sat next to during a lecture. Was I worrying over nothing? I tried to put on a fake smile for the girl as she walked over to take her seat next to me, but my smile quickly turned into a look of disgust.

She smelled absolutely delicious.

It was unlike anything I had ever smelled before. And I wanted her more than I had ever wanted any creature. Each breath I took scorched my newly parched throat. I had no choice but to stop breathing. But it was too late. I had already taken in her wonderful scent and it stuck very clearly in my mind. I noisily pushed my chair away from her and tried to endure the lecture sitting next to what would, in my mind, become my next meal.

I tried to listen to the lecture to take my mind off the dazzling prey sitting next to me. But I just couldn't. My mind raced with all the ways I could take her, get her alone so that I could enjoy her exquisite, delicious…

"_Stop it_!" I mentally yelled to myself. Alice had warned me. Alice. My family. I couldn't kill the innocent girl sitting next to me. But what were my options? How was I supposed to go on enduring this day after day? What had I ever done to deserve this?

I glanced at the clock. Twenty minutes of this torturous hell left. Then I would make up some excuse to go home early and talk to Carlisle. Yes, Carlisle would know what to do.

The monster inside of me kept reminding me that I was the predator, and she was my prey, and that all of this was a natural part of my life. It took all the mental strength I had to tell the monster that it wasn't a natural part of _her_ life. And that was what mattered right now. I couldn't let the beautiful and innocent girl beside me pay for any lapse in good judgment I may have. Oh, but the _burn_! My throat was on _fire._ And her delicious smell promised to quench my unyielding thirst. I no longer just merely _wanted_ her; I _needed_ her…

"_No_!" I screamed in my mind. I could not take her life.

I tried in vain to keep my focus instead on the members of my family, and what each of their reactions would be should I fail in my attempt to stay strong. I pictured the disappointment of Carlisle, the shock of Rosalie, the silent understanding of Jasper, and the worst one out of them all, the horror of Alice.

As soon as it was time for the bell to ring, I was out of my seat and out the door before she had the chance to move and stir up her delightful aroma around us again. I didn't care if she thought I hated her… At least she was alive.

"_For now_…" the monster inside of me warned.

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Alright, I'm still worried that people are going to hate what's going to happen in the next couple of chapters :(

Even if you don't like, please review and at least let me know. Constructive criticism is always welcome as well.

-April


	3. Confusion

What happens when Edward can't stay away from Bella, yet also can't deny the thirst her blood brings? A remake of Twilight. **WARNING** There will be explicit language, some blood and gore, and even sexual themes in later chapters. You have been warned :)

*I do not own Twilight, or any of it's characters. I'm simply borrowing them for your entertainment. Enjoy!

*Please read and review. If people don't want me to continue, I won't waste my time. Thanks!

One Mistake

**Edward:**

I didn't even worry about getting excused from my last two classes. I flew out to the parking lot, got in the car, and sped away as fast as I could. I'm sure my siblings would understand…

I raced to the hospital, where I knew Carlisle would be. I told the receptionist that it was an emergency, and to have Dr. Cullen meet me in his office.

It seemed like an eternity before he finally walked through the door, a big smile plastered on his face. Heh, if he only knew about my day…

"What brings you to my neck of the woods, son?" Carlisle asked as he shut his office door and took a seat in his chair.

I sat in the chair across from him and took a deep breath. Where to start?

"Carlisle," I began, "I met the girl from Alice's vision today. I… She… It's nothing I've ever experienced before," I explained. Carlisle's mood instantly tensed and he motioned for me to continue.

"She smells so… appetizing. So delicious. No human has ever smelled so irresistible to me before. Is there something wrong with me…? With her, maybe? All I could think about during class were ways to lure her away from everyone; Ways to get her alone so I could indulge -"

"Edward," Carlisle interrupted, "I think I understand what has happened, and I am terribly sorry," he began.

"You see, Edward, very rarely, a vampire will stumble upon a human that is exactly his favorite… _flavor_, if you will,"

I was getting impatient with his response,

"So what you're saying is that if I liked strawberries, she would be a big bowl of strawberry ice cream with big chunks of strawberries in it, covered in strawberry syrup with a big, fat strawberry on top?" I was furious and finding it difficult to keep my voice low and inaudible to anyone that might be on the other side of the door. This was ludicrous. Absolutely crazy. But I guess in a sick, twisted way, it kind of made sense. But what was I going to do about it?

"So how do I fix it, Carlisle? What do I do to make it go away? How do I go back to school and face her every day with that… that… delicious smell hanging in the air?"

Carlisle's expression turned grim and he looked down at his desk as he spoke,

"Edward, I know not of any vampire that has ever had the feelings that you are describing to me now and been able to avoid taking what it is he so craves,"

This sent me over the edge. I stood up quickly and bent over his desk until my face was inches from his,

"So what am I supposed to do, Carlisle? Just give in?"

Carlisle looked up at me with a shocked expression evident on his face,

"Of course not, Edward! I'll explain to the others what has happened, and as soon as we can safely leave without leaving any nasty rumors behind, we'll head off to somewhere new and start over,"

I grimaced at his words. Start over. That meant listening to Rosalie gripe and whine about repeating high school _again_. It meant Alice looking at me as if I were a failure. It meant poor Esme trying to find the perfect home, in the perfect cloud-covered, dreary location for us. It was all too much. Perhaps the more I saw the girl, the more time I spent around her, the less effect her smell would have on me. It would be worth a try… Anything to keep my family from being angry with me.

I just nodded my head solemnly and walked quietly out of his office. I got back in my car and decided I still had enough time to swing by and pick up my siblings from school, and they would never be the wiser.

I sat in the parking lot listening to a random CD of Alice's, when I heard the last bell ring. As the kids starting pouring out from every possible door, I couldn't help but search for that angelic face. The chocolate-haired beauty.

As my siblings were getting into the car, I saw her. She was standing next to an old, dull red pickup truck and fumbling with her keys. I made a mental note of her vehicle as I took off out of the parking lot to drop my siblings off at home, all the while carefully dodging curious questions from Alice. As for myself, I had some investigating to do…

**Bella:**

After school I drove home slowly, trying to figure out that stupid Cullen boy. How did he hate me? He didn't even _know_ me! What was his problem? Such a shame, he was so cute, too… Ugh! That was the last thing I should be thinking right now. He's obviously a total jerk to treat a total stranger the way he treated me today. But his beautiful bronze-colored hair…

"Yuck!" I said audibly, trying in vain to get the images of Edward out of my mind.

As I pulled into the driveway, I noticed Charlie's cruiser was nowhere to be found. I stumbled my way into the house, tripping on the stone steps and scraping my arm in the process. At least no one was around to make fun of me…

I plopped my books down on the table and turned to the refrigerator to get something to eat when I noticed the draft from my books caused a yellow sheet of paper to fly off the table and glide to the floor. I bent down to pick it up and silently cursed as I lightly banged my head into the table. Ugh, now I'm going to have a headache all evening… Just great.

I unfolded the yellow paper and instantly recognized my fathers handwriting:

**************

Bells-

Sorry I didn't leave anything out for dinner for you… And don't bother cooking for me tonight because I won't be home. There's some lunatic that went on a killing spree in Port Angeles and we're hot on his trail so I'm gonna pull a double. Don't go anywhere you don't need to and make sure you carry that there pepper spray I got ya with you at all times, got it? I'll be home when you get home after school tomorrow if all goes as planned. Take care and be safe.

-Charlie

**************

In a way it was kind of sad. My own father even calls himself by his own name to me. It had always been apparent, but it was even more evident as I reread Charlie's letter. He cares about me deeply, of that I'm sure, but he was never ready to be a father. He was trying though, and that's all that mattered to me. With a sigh, I threw the letter in the trash and got some lunchmeat out of the refrigerator to make a sandwich.

After I ate and cleaned the dishes, I went ahead and cleaned the rest of the kitchen. It looked as though the floor hadn't been mopped in ages, and truth be told, it probably hadn't.

After the kitchen was finished, I had a sudden urge to clean up the rest of the house. How long had it been since the carpet had been vacuumed? I couldn't tell, but decided that the living room looked a lot better after I got done with it.

I gave every other room the same treatment, except Charlie's room. I saved my room for last. When I was finally done, I went downstairs and retrieved my textbooks and brought them upstairs to my room. I sat on my bed and sighed. I grabbed the books that I had brought upstairs with me and began working on my homework.

It wasn't long before I was completely finished. The schoolwork here in Forks was a piece of cake compared to the work I had to do at my old school for my advanced classes. Too bad they didn't offer any advanced courses here. I guess I'll just have to settle for being bored with school for awhile, which was something I was definitely not used to.

I yawned as I stretched out on my bed. I glanced over at my alarm clock - 9:42. I should be getting a shower and heading off to bed. Ugh. Another day of murderous glares from Edward Cullen.

I slowly gathered some thin satin pajamas and my toiletries and headed to the bathroom. I undressed slowly and adjusted the water to the right temperature. I reveled in the sensations the hot water droplets created on my skin. It was so calming and soothing. It was almost enough to make me forget the beautiful face of Edward Cullen haunting me. Almost. And it was really starting to creep me out… In a way, I kind of felt like he could see me. Even standing naked there in the shower, my skin flushed just thinking about him…

"Ugh!" I audibly chastised myself. Of course Edward couldn't see me. Why was I letting my imagination get so carried away? He wasn't some creepy stalker, he was just a weird boy that happened to not like me for some reason. I threw my laundry into the hamper and trudged back to my room, shut the door, turned off the light, and flung myself onto my bed. As I closed my eyes, I noticed a breeze blow over my face. My eyes instantly snapped open. I hadn't left the window open… Oh well. I closed my eyes and tried to erase the image of Edward Cullen from my mind.

**Edward:**

It was late afternoon as I followed Bella's unmistakable scent that would hopefully lead me to her house. I was running on foot and listening to make sure there were no humans around. Lucky me, they were all inside, winding down and getting ready for bed. Bella's trail was easy to follow, but not strong enough to bring out the monster that I fought so ardently against earlier today in Biology class. I stopped at a quaint little house that was a little ways away from the road, and on the edge of the forest. I saw her rusty old red pickup truck in the driveway. This was definitely her house. As I listened carefully, I could hear only Bella's sweet voice humming along to a song that I was unfamiliar with. I strained yet again to hear her thoughts, but just as it was earlier today, I heard nothing. My sense of smell only confirmed what I had guessed; She was the only one home.

Without realizing what I was doing, I found myself climbing a tree to get a closer look. I silently cursed my luck as I realized that once I had gotten into a position to be able to see her, she had turned and left the room. I glanced at my watch… It was almost 10. I carefully climbed onto the side of the house and tried to open her window. As if to encourage the thirsty monster inside of me, the window did not squeak or groan in protest as I quickly lifted it up enough to slip in. I hid in the corner of her room where she would not see me in the shadows and waited, taking in the fragrance of her that hung thick in the air. It wasn't the same as earlier in Biology… Instead the smell was muddled with what smelled like ammonia. So she had been cleaning, had she? I looked around her room. It was tidy enough. Organized in it's disorganization. She had a pile of CDs on the floor near her desk, and three pairs of shoes stacked underneath it. There was what appeared to be a complete outfit laid out over the chair at her desk.

I shuddered as I heard the shower come on in the next room over. She was taking a shower, then. Instantly, I wondered what her body looked like. She was thin and pretty enough, but I could tell from looking at her wardrobe that she wasn't one to show off her body.

I mentally scolded myself for thinking such things. I was here to try to help the girl, not cause her more trouble. I thought that if I could just be where her scent is, without her knowing, I could try to desensitize myself. And so far, I was doing great.

I jumped back into my hiding place as I heard the bathroom door creak open. I heard the wet pitter-patter of her feet across the wooden floor as she entered her room and closed the door. She quickly turned off the light and flung herself onto the bed.

I began to panic.

I had been just fine with the scent that hung in the air before. But now that she was in the room with me, I just couldn't handle it. I hadn't noticed until the breeze blew in from the window and blew her scent directly at me, as if taunting me and exposing my lack of self control.

I held my breath and tried to reason with myself that I would just wait until she fell asleep and sneak back out of her window, no harm done.

I saw her eyes snap open and for a moment I thought that perhaps she saw me. But she just looked to the window, had a confused expression on her face, shook her head and closed her eyes again.

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Alright, we're finally getting somewhere... I'm pretty sure that the next chapter is not going to be one that many of you will like. But I promise if you hang in there, it'll get better (at least for those of you that are Bella/Edward fans).

Oh, and thank you all for the encouraging reviews. They are all greatly appreciated :)

-April


	4. The Nightmare

What happens when Edward can't stay away from Bella, yet also can't deny the thirst her blood brings? A remake of Twilight. **WARNING** There will be explicit language, some blood and gore, and even sexual themes in later chapters. You have been warned :)

*I do not own Twilight, or any of it's characters. I'm simply borrowing them for your entertainment. Enjoy!

*Please read and review. If people don't want me to continue, I won't waste my time. Thanks!

One Mistake

**Bella (dreaming):**

_The crimson-eyed man growled at me from his crouched position. I knew he was going to attack me, but my feet were frozen to the ground with my fear. Not that I could run anyway. I didn't know where I was. It was cold, and dark, and I was alone with this crazed man. I couldn't even scream. As the man began to spring toward me, I closed my eyes and braced for his heavy weight that would surely knock me down. To my surprise, two firm hands gripped my arms and yanked me out of the way as the monstrous man growled again, louder this time in anger. I opened my eyes to see Edward, my savior, standing in front of me. He was protecting me from this vicious man that for whatever reason, wished to harm me. Edward leapt forward and tore at the flesh of the man. I cringed as Edward literally ripped the man to pieces; An arm skidding to a stop a few feet in front of me, blood flying everywhere. I could only watch in horror as the now disfigured man still tried to fight back. But Edward was quicker, and soon all that was left of the man were twitching pieces on the cold, dark floor. Edward turned to look at me, a crazed look in his eye, and took a slow step toward me._

"_It's alright, Bella," he purred, "Everything's going to be fine now. You have nothing to fear,"_

_Edward was now holding his arms out, inviting me into his embrace. I ran to him, sobbing and confused._

"_Edward, how did you know where to find me? Why did you save me?"_

_He looked at me, the wild in eyes beginning to fade and replied, "My dear Bella, I have waited a long time for you. And now that you are here, I will let nothing ever take you away from me… Ever,"_

_I cried into his shoulder as he held me. I wasn't quite sure why I said it, but it felt so right,_

"_Edward… I love you. Promise you'll never leave me,"_

_He softly smiled as he kissed my forehead and replied,_

"_I love you more, my Bella. And I swear that for as long as I am in existence, you will be right here beside me, safe and protected,"_

_He had no more than finished his sentence when I felt the fire. It was searing right through my being, but there were no flames. I tried to cry out in pain, but Edward just hushed me and began to slowly rock us back and forth. I didn't understand, what was hurting me? Why did Edward just smile and hold me? The invisible fire was spreading through my whole body!_

_My body involuntarily convulsed with the pain, but Edward just gave me a sad smile as he said,_

"_I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so, so sorry. But I promise you, the pain won't last for long,"_

_And then everything faded to black. It would have been a relief, except the fire still roared on through my veins. I prayed for death. I prayed for whatever sin I had committed to deserve this to be absolved. But instead the fire raged on._

**Edward (meanwhile, in reality):**

I was instantly at war with myself. Part of me wanted to leave in fear of hurting her. But a bigger part of me was curious… Of course, that terrible monster inside of me agreed with the curious part of me - Anything to keep me near my enchanting, luscious prey.

I'm not sure how long I stood there, trying to decide which course of action to take. But I quickly snapped out of my contemplative state when I heard Bella moan something in her sleep.

I could no longer resist. In fact, I didn't realize that I was slowly moving closer to her until I was kneeling beside her bed, tilting my head closer to her body to try and decode her sleep-drenched words. She intrigued me in the most unique way. This was something I had never experienced before… But I enjoyed every second of it. I realized that I was smiling. It was an odd feeling - Not something I was used to. But it felt nice and I liked it.

I kneeled there next to Bella and listened attentively to her dreams. I was so intently focused on her slurred speech that I had almost forgotten about the dull ache in the back of my throat. It was when I heard her moan _my name _that the thirst I had been fighting so strongly against suddenly reared up as unyielding as ever.

I couldn't help my reaction. Before I knew what I had done, I was straddling her sleeping form on her bed. Of course, being the world's greatest predator, I had not disturbed my prey. I had both of legs on either side of her sleeping form, and both of my hands were supporting my weight on either side of her shoulders.

The monster was quickly gaining control… I knew if I didn't stop myself soon, this situation could very easily get out of hand. I needed to leave. I needed fresh air. I needed to get Bella out of my head and away from my keen sense of smell before I ruined both of our lives forever. I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated on moving softly away from her as to not disturb her. But what happened next, I was not prepared for.

"Why… did you save me?" she slurred.

My muscles tensed. My eyes instantly focused on her face. What was happening? What was she dreaming about? Was she awake? Did she know just how much danger she was in?

"B-Bella?" I stuttered quietly. Surely if she was awake she would be screaming and flailing frantically…

"Edward… I love you. Promise you'll never leave me," she moaned, obviously still asleep.

I was suddenly no longer worried about her conscious or unconscious state.

I instinctively let go of any reluctance I felt and unwillingly let the angry, hungry monster inside of me take over. I could no longer control my actions. I _needed_ Bella, and I needed her _now_. Without giving it a second thought, I growled and sank my sharp teeth into her creamy soft flesh. She gasped, but didn't struggle in my firm grasp.

She was even more delicious than her scent had led me to believe. It was pure ecstasy to feel her life fluid draining from her soft, living body into my cold, dead one. Somewhere in my bliss, I suddenly remembered something…

I growled again and tore myself away from the broken angel lying beneath me. What had I done? I had gone against everything my family stood for. I had not only taken a human life, but an innocent one. She was but a child. She had a life ahead of her - A future. And in a moment of weakness, I had just taken it all away from her.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so, so sorry. But I promise you, the pain won't last for long," I whispered to her still form as I turned away from her, and flung myself out her window. Words could not describe how disgusted I felt thinking about what I had done. I had made a terrible, horrible mistake. I had killed the precious, dark-haired beauty.

How was I going to explain this?

As I ran back home to my family, the scene kept replaying in my mind.

My one mistake - my lapse in self control - and the beautiful, innocent Bella was no more.

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Sorry, I know it's short, but this was a natural stopping place for me. And please don't be mad at me! I promise I'll explain it all in the chapters to come :)

After all, it IS a romance story *hint, hint*.

-April


	5. The News

What happens when Edward can't stay away from Bella, yet also can't deny the thirst her blood brings? A remake of Twilight. **WARNING** There will be explicit language, some blood and gore, and even sexual themes in later chapters. You have been warned :)

*I do not own Twilight, or any of it's characters. I'm simply borrowing them for your entertainment. Enjoy!

*Please read and review. If people don't want me to continue, I won't waste my time. Thanks!

One Mistake

**Edward:**

I ran as fast I could. I ran to the only creatures that could possibly understand me and what I had been though. I couldn't be sure of their reactions, but I knew that it was in the best interest of us all for me to come clean. Besides, Carlisle would know what do with Bella's corpse…

I shuddered. It was all so wrong. How did this happen? At first, I had total control and then so suddenly things got out of hand. If vampires could cry, I would have been sobbing hysterically. I so very desperately wanted to weep for the girl that was no more.

I entered the house noisily in an attempt to attract attention. In my haste to get home, I hadn't realized that the house was almost empty, save Carlisle and Esme. The others had probably gone hunting. I glanced up to see Carlisle descending the stairs quickly, with Esme not too far behind.

"What is it, Edward… What's wrong?" Esme called to me, worry evident on her delicate face.

They both came to a halt a few away from me, both with looks of concern. I should have known that I wouldn't have the chance to explain myself properly…

"Edward!" Carlisle exclaimed, "Your eyes! Please tell me you didn't…" he trailed off.

Damn! I should have known that after so many years of animal blood diluting my eye color, that after even one slip, my eyes would now be a bright crimson. In my shame and guilt, I could only hang my head and stare at the floor in front of me.

"I killed her, Carlisle. I wasn't strong enough to stay away, and I wasn't strong enough to resist. I made a terrible mistake and instead of _me_ paying the price, that poor… _girl_…" I could no longer speak. The words were caught in my throat.

I felt a soft hand gently rubbing my back. I looked up and saw Esme looking back at me, her eyes full of compassion and love. I looked back over to Carlisle, and he too was not angry, but instead radiated sympathy and tenderheartedness. It was more than I deserved. I was a monster, yet these people… My family… Loved me despite all my flaws.

It was too much. I had to get away… But first, I had to make sure Bella was taken care of. I had been afraid when I left her, and hadn't bothered to cover up her death, to make it look accidental. As if Carlisle could read my thoughts, he asked,

"So… What did you do with the… evidence? Is everything all taken care of?"

"No," I replied quietly, "I was scared and wasn't sure of what to do, so I just ran-"

Carlisle quickly interrupted me, "We'll take care of it, Edward. Don't worry about anything. Perhaps some time alone would do you some good. Esme and I will take care of everything. Just relax and calm down. The others went up North to hunt, so you'll have the night to yourself. Esme and I will be back once everything is done,"

I gave them both a sad smile of appreciation and slowly ascended the stairs up to my room. As I leaned up against my window, staring out into the darkness, I saw Carlisle and Esme's retreating forms heading toward town - toward Bella - to clean up the mess that I had made.

I fell back against my couch with a sigh as I suddenly wished that I could sleep. Anything to escape the horrible twisted reality that I had killed Bella.

**Bella:**

I lost all track of time. All I could remember was the pain, the burning of the fire as it pulsed through my body. I didn't know who I was, or if I was even alive. I couldn't focus on anything except the blanket of darkness cascading around me, wrapping gently around me. I could feel my body, but it was too numb from the pain to move. I couldn't even find my voice to scream out in agony.

Suddenly, I could hear soft footsteps coming up the stairs. Stairs. Footsteps. All at once, fuzzy memories crept into my mind. It seemed like an eternity ago I had came home from school and found the house empty. Maybe I was still alive. Maybe Charlie was coming for me. He would find me and get me whatever kind of help I needed to quench this fire roaring through my body.

I listened intently as I heard my door slowly creak open. I could plainly hear two sets of footsteps approaching me. I instinctively knew that the two people standing beside me were people that I had not met before. It was almost as if I could _smell_ them, and theirs was a scent I had never smelled before. It was a very fragrant smell, soothing and calming, but at the same time it somehow hinted at danger.

I wished that my eyes would open, so I could see. Or maybe this burning thing that was happening to me had rendered me blind and this darkness that I had become accustomed to would be all that I would ever see again. Or maybe I was already dead.

I heard the two talking quietly, one male and one female, although I was in too much pain to focus on what they were saying. The footsteps came closer until they stopped beside my bed. I suddenly felt a cool hand press down on my forehead, then to my chest where I could now feel my heart slowly beating under the touch. I hadn't been able to hear it before, but now that this stranger had pointed it out to me, I knew I was alive. I had to be alive… Surely one's heart could not be beating, even as slowly as mine was, if that person were dead. A sudden surge of hope pulsed through me, and I tried to force myself to focus through the pain to hear the words of these two strangers,

"I can't believe it, Esme," the man said, "She's not dead… She's just changing,"

Then the woman, I presumed to be Esme, spoke, "What should we do? We can't kill her. And we can't just leave her… Imagine how frightened she'll be when she awakens… Certainly the others won't mind a new addition to our family?"

"But what of Edward? He firmly believes she's dead. How on earth are we going to explain this to him? I don't think he'll be relieved, but rather even more upset that now she's… like us. You know how he feels about this life. He sees us as all as monsters, living only for our next meal. Once he realizes that he did _this_… That _he's_ the cause of her change… You know he'll never forgive himself,"

My mind was reeling. So these strangers knew Edward? And what did he have to do with me? What was this "change" they were speaking of? Did they mean the fire?

"But we can't leave her here, Carlisle," the female said, "We'll take her with us. We'll teach her what we know and show her how to make the most of her new existence and then give her the same choice we've given the others - stay or leave,"

There was a slight pause, then I felt a pair of cool hands on my body, one under my neck and one under my knees, as I was pulled up into the air and carried off.

I couldn't concentrate on where I was going or even that I was moving at all. The fire was burning even more fierce than before and I could almost feel my heart pounding out of my ribcage. None of this made any sense to me, and the pain was still so severe that I just wished that it would all stop, even if it meant death.

**Edward:**

I quickly grew tired of my room. It was as if the walls were starting to close in on me, choking me. On a whim, I decided to go for a run. A nice, _long_ run. Maybe up and through Canada, then back. Carlisle and Esme would know that I needed my space for awhile.

And with that, I took off into the forest, trying in vain to keep my mind off Bella.

And then it hit me. Perhaps this _was_ my punishment. The beautiful girl was no longer able to charm me with her delightful scent… But now the horrific memory of her practically dying in my arms was permanently fixed into my conscience. It was going to haunt me for the rest of eternity. Yes, this indeed was my punishment.

**Bella:**

I heard them talking again, but it was all jumbled. Something about the woman going ahead to make sure no one was home. So the male must be carrying me, then.

It wasn't much longer until I felt myself being set down upon what felt like a couch. I could hear the man and the woman making small talk, then turning on what sounded like a news program on a television. The woman had suggested that it would soothe me, and I presumed that these people at least were trying to help me and not hurt me… Which was a good sign. They talked as though this pain would only be temporary, but what was to come after it, I did not know.

I tried to concentrate as hard as I could on the newscaster. The woman had been right - The chatter was definitely helping me deal with the fire that always seemed to keep getting hotter.

I listened to the weather forecast… Rain and clouds, what a big surprise. Then I heard about some poor old woman that had lost the wedding band that she carried around from her deceased husband and was giving out a hefty reward to anyone who found it. But the special bulletin that came on next was something I would never have been prepared for.

"This just in," the newscaster exclaimed, "Charlie Swan, chief of police in Forks, Washington was killed in the line of duty only hours ago while chasing Jeffrey Miller, a suspect of several killings in Port Angeles. According to eye witnesses, Swan and his team had Miller cornered in an abandoned building when Miller came out of hiding and opened fire. Several Officers were hurt, and are currently on their way to recovery in the hospital. The only casualty was Officer Swan. He will be dearly missed…"

I couldn't believe what I had heard. Surely this couldn't be happening. What was becoming of me… Of my life? First this, this… wierd dream of that stupid Cullen boy, then the fire, then hearing a crazy news story about Charlie… About my father… My thoughts were suddenly racing as they jumbled together and became one big blur in my mind. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. But all I could do was just lay there in my blind stupor.

I heard the television click off.

"Bella? Can you hear me?" the gentle, male voice asked, "Can you move at all? Even a twitch? Can you open your eyes yet? Your transformation is nearly complete…"

I didn't have the willpower left inside of me to even try. I wanted to lay there and absorb all the pain I could. I didn't want it to come to an end… I wanted it to eat at me and burn me away until I was nothing. But it was as if my body had other ideas. Unconsciously, and as if on cue, I felt my hand flutter. It was involuntary, almost like a reaction. And then I heard an agonizing scream. It sounded so painful, and I instantly felt sorry for whoever it was that was crying out in their torment.

As I sucked in a burning breath, the screaming stopped momentarily. It was then I realized the screaming was coming from me.

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Okay, so Bella's change is taking hours, rather than days (like in Stephanie's vampire world). I just couldn't stand to make Bella suffer unnecessarily :D

Please review... even if you didn't like it. I have two big ideas in my head for things that could happen next, and it's either one or the other. I'm not quite sure yet which direction it'll be. One of those ideas leads to an easy, obvious happy ending... and the other one is slightly darker which very well may result in this being bumped to a rating of "M". I guess it'll just depend on my mood when I'm writing, lol. I've still got a chapter or two before I have to make the decision, so I guess that gives me time to think about it.

Oh! And thanks to all the wonderful people who added me to their favorites/alerts. It makes the story worth continuing to know that there are people out there waiting to see what happens next. And a SPECIAL thanks to my reviewers. Your thoughts and opinions are highly valued, even if I don't use your ideas or respond back.

:)

-April


	6. Awakening

What happens when Edward can't stay away from Bella, yet also can't deny the thirst her blood brings? A remake of Twilight. **WARNING** There will be explicit language, some blood and gore, and even sexual themes in later chapters. You have been warned :)

*I do not own Twilight, or any of it's characters. I'm simply borrowing them for your entertainment. Enjoy!

*Please read and review. If people don't want me to continue, I won't waste my time. Thanks!

One Mistake

**Bella:**

It wasn't long before I felt my heart racing so fast that I thought it would take off and beat itself right out of my chest. My eyes flew open without me even giving it a second thought… Great, more "reflexes"… And then what happened next amazed me and scared me deeply, both at the same time.

As two beautiful faces smiled down at me, my heart stopped beating altogether. I kept waiting to hear another pounding _thud_, but nothing came. I was starting to panic. I couldn't be dead, I could hear everything, I could see everything… I wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation. To say the least I was very confused.

And I must have looked every bit the part, as the two people standing next to me began to chuckle. This angered me. Who were these people? They had no right no laugh at me. It was _my_ body, damn it, and I deserved to know what the hell was going on. What kind of monster had I become?

I felt the anger bubble up and suddenly boil over. I sat up quickly. No, to say quickly would be an understatement. It was as if my every move was suddenly a reflex. There was no time in between my decision to move and my actual movement. It all was so fast… This was _so_ not me. I looked down at my body. It still looked like me. I was a little bit more pale than usual, but I was totally freaked out at this point. It would be normal for me to not have any color. It was then that I noticed the other colors around me… It was like every single one of my senses had been improved. I could see things that I knew wouldn't have been able to before. And then when I inhaled sharply through my nose, it was as if I could taste the air around me. I could even taste the satin of the pajamas I was still wearing. I could taste the soft perfumed skin of the man and woman standing before me.

It was then that I looked up to them again and saw that they were no longer laughing, but they both had contented smiles on their faces. They looked… _pleased_. I opened my mouth to speak, but it suddenly felt so dry. I needed something to drink. Ugh! The fire that I had earlier felt crawling through my veins was nothing in comparison to this constant, nagging _thirst_ I had.

I opened my mouth to speak, but then I realized I didn't know what to say. Where should I start? I was so confused at this point all I could do was look at the man and woman standing before me.

"Bella? Dear? Are you alright?" the woman asked.

I focused my eyes on her. She was quite beautiful. She had a very stern, yet gentle, motherly look about her.

I shook my head, still not able to find my voice.

She laughed lightly as she replied, "Of course, dear. It's a bit much to take in all at one, but you'll get used to it soon enough. Oh! I'm so sorry… Where are my manners? My name is Esme Cullen, and this is my husband Carlisle," she said as she gestured to the man at her side.

_Cullen_. So these people were related to Edward? Nothing was making sense anymore… I must have looked extremely confused then, because Carlisle spoke up,

"Bella, I'm sure you have a lot of questions. And I'm sure you are very frightened. But I promise you, we will let no harm come to you while you are under our roof, and you are free to leave at any moment you please, or you may stay here as long as you'd like. All I ask is that you let us explain a few things to you before you make a decision, agreed?"

I nodded my head slowly, still not trusting that I would be able to find my voice with my throat so dry.

"Good," Carlisle said with a smile as he and Esme both sat down on the love seat to my right.

"First of all," he began, "You're probably wondering what happened to you. I'm sure you were in immense pain,"

At the word "pain", I flinched slightly and nodded again.

Esme spoke this time, "We were very surprised that you stayed silent for so long… We expected you to fight more, but we are very glad that you didn't. The change would have taken longer, thus prolonging your pain,"

What was all this talk about a "change"? What exactly had I become?

Carlisle smiled at me as though he could read my mind,

"Bella, this may come as a bit of a shock, but I swear to tell you the truth… You're a vampire,"

They both just sat there, smiling away as if everything were normal. I couldn't help but laugh. Who did they think they were kidding? Vampires didn't exist. Surely this must be some kind of joke…

Then I noticed both of their smiles disappeared. Carlisle dared a quick, concerned glance at Esme before turning his full attention back to me,

"Bella, this is serious. Pay a little bit of attention here. Don't you notice your lack of a heartbeat? Or maybe you could try holding your breath? As vampires, we don't need to breathe. And don't bother worrying about a place to sleep - You'll never need to sleep again. Oh, and that burning in your throat? It's for blood. If you truly don't believe that you're a vampire now, Bella, I'm not sure how else to convince you, other than to take you out for a little walk through the woods and show you,"

I instinctively grabbed at my throat when he mentioned the word "blood". And I _did _notice my lack of a heartbeat. How strange. But I still wasn't quite convinced. How could I not breathe? Or not sleep? Would I still be able to eat real food? I suddenly had so many questions…

Again, as if reading my mind, Carlisle spoke up, "I think perhaps getting rid of your 'sore throat' may change your perspective on things as well as prove my point,"

Esme chuckled and they both rose to their feet, gesturing me to do the same.

"Wait," I called, my voice raspy but higher than I remembered it being - More feminine sounding.

"Yes?" Carlisle asked as they both turned their focus back to me.

"How do I…? I mean, don't vampires… kill people? I - I can't do that… I -"

Carlisle interrupted my embarrassed rant,

"Oh, no, Bella. We hunt animals instead. Blood is blood. It's how we survive, without disturbing the humans. It's the reason we can co-exist and not be obvious. Of course, human blood generally tastes better, and it can be very difficult to resist, but we try to make do with as little complications as possible,"

That reminded me of another nagging question that was lurking in my mind…

"How did I become like this, Carlisle?"

He looked down toward the floor and furrowed his brows together as he spoke,

"Let's just worry about getting your physical needs met for now, Bella. There will be plenty of time for chatting later,"

Esme smiled at me in encouragement as she held up a new outfit for me to change into and pointed out the direction to what she had told me would be my new room.

As soon as I had changed my clothes, Esme led the three of us out of the house, and into the woods in their backyard. To _hunt_.

**Edward:**

I was growing weary. It bothered me that I was being such a coward. I was trying to run from my problems like a little boy, not able to stand up and face them like a man would. I sighed and slumped down against a tall pine tree. I tried to close my eyes, desperate to escape reality for even just a moment, but growled in frustration when all I could think of was the way Bella writhed in pain underneath my touch…

I growled again, louder this time, and slammed my fist into the ground.

It was then that I heard a high-pitched giggle sound from behind me. I sighed. Of course… Alice would know everything. Didn't she always? But what really bothered me was that she was laughing. Like none of this mattered. Like I hadn't just murdered an innocent girl. Maybe what I had done had been too sudden of a decision for Alice's mind to grasp. Maybe she didn't even know. How the hell was I supposed to tell her? My brows furrowed and I stared at the ground as I spoke,

"What do you want, Alice?"

She then pranced to my side and gently sat down gracefully to my right.

"I wanted to come talk to you, Edward. I wanted to warn you of what awaits you when you come home. It's also the same reason that I talked the others into going hunting with me earlier,"

This caught my attention. Alice was always very clever with her visions. She knew how to hide them when she needed to, and right now as I searched her mind for her thoughts or visions, I heard and saw nothing. This added a new depth of frustration. Hadn't I been through enough already?

"Just spit it out… I don't feel like playing games right now,"

"Hmph! I come all the way out here to find you in this deserted no-man's-land, trying to be helpful for once, and you think I'm playing games? Edward, what you did to Bella was horrible! You should be completely ashamed. You should be grateful that I'm even talking to you right now,"

So she _did_ know. And she was disappointed in me… Just like the rest of my family.

I let my head sink into my hands as I curled my knees to my chest and closed my eyes. Would this miserable feeling ever go away?

Then she laughed.

I snapped my head up angrily and jumped to my feet. I was growling and snarling at her, but I no longer cared.

"So you find this funny, huh? Do you get some sick, twisted enjoyment out of my suffering, Alice? Do you think it makes me happy that I killed her?"

She calmly stood and took a step forward so that she was directly in front of me, still smiling that wide grin of hers.

Just this once, I wished I could just slap it right off her face. Didn't she understand how difficult this whole situation had become?

"Edward, you didn't kill her," Alice firmly stated, never looking away from my face.

Now it was _my_ turn to laugh.

"I know you can see the future and all, _dear sister_… Remember that vision you had of me only days ago? It came true… I just went to try and get used to the smell. I just thought that maybe I could watch her as she slept and if it got to be too much I would leave, and then before I knew it, I was on top of her and she was saying my name in her sleep, and-"

Alice put her hand up to my mouth in an attempt to stop my rambling. She was smiling again, damn her. But I couldn't be mad anymore. I was far too depressed to stay mad.

"Edward," Alice began, "I saw what happened,"

I began to protest, but Alice pressed her hand more firmly against my mouth.

"Let me finish, you dork!" She giggled. "Anyway, as I said, I saw what happened. She was sleeping and you were watching her. The temptation was too much, and you bit her,"

"No, I _drank_ her," I corrected against Alice's palm.

"But not enough to _kill _her… Just enough to _change _her," Alice stated.

Then it all clicked and Alice let her hand drop away from my mouth.

I started to panic. How? Why? I didn't understand. I couldn't change people, I didn't even know how. I mean, Carlisle was the one who did that. I wasn't even sure of the mechanics… All I had as a reference was my own experience - my own "change".

Another wave of panic hit me when I thought about Bella's reaction. She would _hate_ me. I laughed furiously aloud at the fact that I had thought that I was being punished by my torturous thoughts of Bella's death. That was _nothing _compared to me having to spend the rest of my existence knowing that I had sentenced this innocent girl to an undead semi-life of murder and thirst.

Alice must have not have understood my insane laughter because she looked very confused.

"Edward, I wasn't joking. You know I wouldn't kid around about something so serious,"

My moment of insanity was quickly being replaced by despair. I tilted my head back, leaned back against a tree, and closed my eyes.

"I know you aren't joking, Alice. But it seems my luck just keeps getting worse. I mean, first this intoxicating girl shows up, then I believe I killed her, which is bad enough, then come to find out I just damned her to an eternity of hell on earth. Maybe I should just kill myself now before things get worse…"

"Oh, Edward, stop being so melodramatic. Bella actually kind of likes it… Or at least she will,"

My eyes instantly snapped open. Did I hear her correctly?

"I didn't think you'd understand. I can try to explain it to you if you'd like, but I think it very well may be just a _girl _thing,"

"What? Alice, you don't make sense,"

Alice just smiled and replied, "Let's head back home and I'll try to explain it all on the way,"

I sighed and nodded as Alice and I headed back home.

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*sigh* There's a lot of personal drama going on in my life right now, so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up. I may end up moving (to be closer to my family). And if that happens, it could very well be at least a week or two before I'll have enough time to finish what I've got so far, polish it, and upload it.

Anyway, I hope you are all enjoying this so far. Feel free to add your suggestions and opinions in your review. While I may not use your suggestions, I still enjoy them nonetheless. Even if you absolutely HATE the story and wish I would just fall off the face of the earth, go ahead and let me know. I promise there will be no retaliation. :)

-April


	7. Hunting Trip

What happens when Edward can't stay away from Bella, yet also can't deny the thirst her blood brings? A remake of Twilight. **WARNING** There will be explicit language, some blood and gore, and even sexual themes in later chapters. You have been warned :)

*I do not own Twilight, or any of it's characters. I'm simply borrowing them for your entertainment. Enjoy!

*Please read and review. If people don't want me to continue, I won't waste my time. Thanks!

One Mistake

**Bella**:

It was absolutely _terrifying_. I knew that if my heart were still beating, it would be pounding out of my chest right about now. I watched as Carlisle and Esme had each followed, and then taken down their prey - two large elk. But I just couldn't imagine _myself _doing that. The thirst was burning so badly in the back of my throat and it was all I could think about. But it was just too much, too fast. I knew that this would soothe the ache… They had both told me that. And it didn't look difficult. I could do this. After all, they had promised me they would tell me more about what was going on once I had gotten the hang of this whole "hunting" thing.

"So, how exactly do I start?" I asked timidly. I had counted on at least one of them laughing at me, but instead, they both looked at me with confidence as they explained to me what to do.

I did as they instructed. I closed my eyes, and I took a deep breath in through my nose. It felt weird, but I supposed that was because I no longer needed the air. The only purpose that breathing served now was so that I could smell. Oh, and what a delicious scent met my awaiting senses. Instinctively, I leaned toward the scent, but still unsure what to do.

"Just follow your instincts, Bella," Esme gently prodded, "What do you feel like doing?"

I let the scent overwhelm me, and before I could realize what I was doing, I was chasing after the poor little deer in front of me. I felt it try to struggle underneath my weight as I fiercely pounced and straddled the defenseless creature. I viciously sank my teeth into it's fatty tissue and began to drink.

It was the most delightful feeling in the world. This was definitely what I had been so thirsty for. But something about the taste was a bit off… Carlisle had explained this to me on the way here. He had said that animal blood would not be fully satisfying to me, but that it would still calm the craving for awhile. And he was right. I stood up slowly, noticing how messy I'd gotten in the process of catching and draining my prey. I looked at Carlisle and Esme, neither of which were as dirty and bloody as I was.

I then heard a booming voice from behind me,

"You're supposed to _drink _the blood, not _wear _it!"

"Emmett!" Esme scolded the boy, "Apologize at once! You've probably already scared the poor girl out of her mind,"

The boy then approached me, outstretching his hand,

"Hello, Bella. I'm Emmett," he grinned as we quickly shook hands, "I didn't mean to offend you. It's just nice to have someone new around for a change. It gets really old making fun of Jasper all the time," Emmett grinned and pointed to the angry-looking blonde standing a few feet away, as the blonde quickly stuck out his tongue at Emmett.

As I looked around at the family, it took a moment for it to register in my mind… But then I suddenly realized why all the kids that I had talked to in school had been weary of the Cullens. It was because they were all vampires. And now I was one of them, too. Carlisle and Esme had explained to me what I had become and what was expected of me. But there was still one question that they had both managed to avoid… How did I become like this? I knew it had something to do with Edward… That much I remembered from listening to Carlisle and Esme talk during my "change", as they called it.

The question burned into my mind as Rosalie and Jasper both formally introduced themselves. I was kind of disappointed that the beautiful and graceful Alice was not among them. Ever since I had watched her at lunch, I had desperately wanted to talk to her, to _know _her. And I was even more so disappointed that Edward was not among them, either.

As we all swiftly walked back to the Cullen's house, we made small talk and listened to lame vampire jokes from Emmett. Jasper had also explained Alice's absence and told me that she was a psychic of sorts and was very excited about me "joining the family" as she had put it, but needed to take care of something at the moment. I had asked if everyone in the family had a special ability, and Jasper explained that he could interpret and manipulate emotions, and that Edward could read minds. He had said that talents like this were the exception, not the norm.

Oddly, I felt comfortable around all of them, and it was obvious that I was welcome into their family. Carlisle and Esme had already made that point clear. They had even given me a guest room to stay in, and told me that I could do with it as I wished.

As we entered the house, everyone seemed to go their own ways. Emmett and Rosalie both headed upstairs, and Jasper sat down on the couch in the living room and began watching TV. Carlisle was busily gathering items to take with him to work. Apparently while we were out hunting, he had been paged to the hospital for an emergency. Although dawn had already began to cast it's first rays of light upon the earth, it felt so odd to be so… _awake_.

Carlisle gave Esme a quick peck on the cheek before hurriedly heading out the door. As we both watched him leave, Esme turned to me and smiled,

"So, Bella… What are your plans now?"

Uh oh. I hadn't really given that much thought. Hell, I hadn't really had enough time to. The past twenty-four hours of my life, or rather my _existence_, had been a complete blur to me. It was so difficult to remember my human memories, and painful to remember my first vampire ones.

My thoughts must have been evident by the look on my face, because Esme gently tugged me by my elbow over to the loveseat to sit down with her.

I sighed, "I honestly don't know, Esme. What _should _I do? I mean, I can't go back to school, Charlie's dead… I - I'm not sure what to do anymore…"

I felt like crying, but no tears would come. Instead, all I could do was ball up my fists in my lap and bite my lip like I always did when I was upset. Esme patted my hands with her own and smiled at me,

"Bella, you do realize that especially now with Charlie's death, people will be looking for you…? You had other family, did you not?"

Well crap. No, I hadn't thought of that. How would I explain my absence?

I shook my head. Esme seemed to sense my stress and began offering options,

"Well, most of us faked our own deaths. Or if you're looking for something less dramatic, you could always be another teenage runaway. Actually, you're almost an adult. That one might work out better for you,"

"Of course. It would actually kind of make sense. People would think that the news of Charlie's death hit me hard… Maybe a little too hard… And I had just run away to get away from it all," then I grimaced and added, "But won't that mean that I'll need to leave Forks? What if people recognize me?"

Esme tried her best to stifle her small laugh, "Bella, you're in no condition to be around people. You're more than welcome to stay here with us, but you can't expect to be able to waltz right back into school or into town and just be okay with smelling human blood. It takes quite a bit of restraint. Human blood is much, much more tempting than animal blood,"

"But the others go to school," I argued.

Esme didn't try to hide her laugh this time, "Bella, they've had years of practice,"

Then her face sobered up as she softly added, "And surely you realize that it was a lapse of that restraint that brought you here to us…?"

I nodded solemnly and stared down at my hands. Perhaps now she would tell me how things came to be like this…

"Esme? If I ask you an honest question, will you give me an honest answer?"

"Of course, Bella,"

"Did Edward… Did he… Is he the reason…" No matter how I tried, the words just wouldn't come out. The whole idea still frightened me.

"Yes, Bella. Edward bit you. He drank from you for awhile, and thought he had killed you. I know that he feels terrible for what he has done, but that doesn't change the fact that he did it. You have every right to be angry with him or upset with him. Actually, he may not even know that you are one of us. The last time I saw him, he truly thought you were dead,"

Instantly my mind filled with fuzzy images from my last dream. The last dream I would ever have. As a vampire, I couldn't sleep, therefore I would never dream again. But for some reason, I knew what that dream had meant. It was a foreshadowing of my future. I knew that this new existence was meant for me. I felt empowered, free, and for the first time, truly like I _belonged_. So far, the Cullen family treated me like one of their own. I was _welcome _here. And I no longer ran around tripping over my own two feet or falling into things. I was graceful. I had learned that today as I was hunting. Everything physical was so easy… It was all like a big reflex to me. I didn't have to think about how I was going to do something, I just _did _it. Of course, the lust for blood was a slight disappointment, as well as learning that I couldn't go out in broad daylight without blinding passerby, but for the most part, I was _happy_. And I owed it all to Edward. He was the reason for my newfound joy. Not to mention the fact that he _created_ me. It made me feel an attachment to him, almost as if I _belonged_ to him. It was a silly thought, but I couldn't deny how I felt.

I looked up at Esme when her small laugh broke though my train of thought.

"Well, Bella, it looks like you'll get to confront him sooner than I thought. He and Alice are home. Jasper, would you mind…?"

"Not at all," Jasper quickly replied with a grin as he turned off the TV and ran upstairs to his room.

"I'll be upstairs painting if you need me dear," Esme said as she quickly ascended the stairs after Jasper.

Well crap. Now what was I going to do? Hell, I didn't even know what to say… This was definitely going to be awkward…

I didn't have time to think. Alice threw the door open with a huge smile on her face as she ran over to me and threw her arms around me,

"Bella!" She squealed, "I'm so happy! You and I are going to be the bestest friends! Oh! And you _have _to let me take you shopping… We are _so _remodeling your new room!"

I couldn't help but laugh. This was the exact Alice that I had pictured when I saw her in the lunch room at school. She was so bubbly and happy… I could definitely see the two of us becoming friends.

And then I saw Edward walk through the door. My muscles tensed, my smile faded, and I quickly looked down.

Alice felt my sudden rigidity and quickly pulled back from our embrace,

"Oh, come on Bella! As a newborn vampire you're twice as strong as old Eddie, here! You have nothing to be afraid of!" She exclaimed, obviously kidding around, then whispered to me but loud enough Edward could still hear, "He looks a lot meaner and tougher than he really is… Deep down, Eddie's just-"

Edward gave her an icy glare as he cut off her sentence,

"Don't call me that,"

Then I heard Emmett's booming voice. He was laughing. Perhaps at Edward…?

Edward jerked his gaze quickly away from Alice, and directed it toward the top of the stairs. Then he growled.

Alice's face suddenly crinkled up in what looked like worry, then it quickly turned to anger.

She faced toward the top of the stairs and yelled, surely loud enough for everyone in the house to hear,

"All three of you should be ashamed of yourselves! If you don't call off the bet this instant, I'm going to come up those stairs and beat some sense into you!"

Edward growled again, and Emmett's laughing got louder.

My brow furrowed in confusion,

"Alice? What's going on?" I had been too nervous and preoccupied to try to strain and listen to what they were all up there talking about.

She sighed and nonchalantly replied, "They're making bets about whether you and Edward will get into a fight. Rosalie's betting on Edward. Jasper's betting on you, Bella. And Emmett's betting that the fight will turn into… well, something more _intimate_,"

"Bella," Edward's stern voice called, "We need to talk, and I don't think it's a good idea to do it here,"

I slowly nodded my head in agreement and turned back to say goodbye to Alice, but she was already halfway up the stairs.

I looked back up toward Edward, and he just motioned for me to follow him as he led me out the front door and toward the woods.

It was well past daybreak, and for the first time, I saw firsthand why I was forbidden to go into the sunlight in front of humans… I sparkled. It was beautiful. It wasn't like glitter, but rather like my skin had tiny little diamonds embedded into my pores. I couldn't help but stop and stare at my hands and arms, twinkling in the light.

It must have looked funny to Edward, because when he looked back at me to see why I was no longer following him, he laughed. It wasn't a mean laugh, but rather one of intrigue and fascination.

I looked up at him, still smiling from my discovery, as he said,

"I guess they didn't explain to you what happens to your skin in the sun?"

I shook my head. "They did, but I wasn't expecting _this_…" I said as I still marveled at my shiny hands.

He chuckled as he shook his head and turned, heading into the forest.

I tore my gaze away from my hands and followed close behind. I silently wondered where we were going. We hadn't gone out this far when the rest of us were hunting earlier… Well, wherever we were going, I hoped we'd get there soon. The curiosity was nagging at me fiercely.

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Hope you enjoyed this one :)

Sorry it's taken me so long to update. The next chapter will likely take just as long. But never fear... I'm still writing. It just takes me awhile to get them uploaded once each chapter is finished.

And once again, thank you for all the wonderful reviews!

-April


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